Half a croissant, on a plate, with a sign in front of it saying '50c'
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taxation without dread

'spend' your own taxes as you see fit
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After we total our taxes, there's no more cursing! We now have the option of 'spending' our own taxes. That's right, we can budget our own taxes. Two or three pages of budgetary items are included with the form. We select, for example, education 50%, free single-payer health-care 25%, communication 10%, etc. We have a choice of big, broad items like 'communications' or 'pork-barrel rewards for the filthy rich', or tiny little items (although some research may be necessary ... at IRS.com) like 'glass recycling subsidies nationwide'. Heck, we may even find 'write in your item' right there beside 'abdicate any responsibility whatsoever'.
GnoLackawitz, Dec 25 2003

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       I can still run a comb through my hair, and they get far too much of my money...must be baked already.   

       Although I always thought this would make taxes more palatable, it would drive those who live to rule crazy.   

       The purpose of a government, like any other corporate life form, is to protect it's existence at all costs, and grow as much as possible.
normzone, Dec 25 2003
  

       Possibly you would have the option of 'spending' around half of your tax. It would probably be multiple choice and not actually matter what you ticked because the other 50% would be re-budgeted to make it all add up.
RobertKidney, Dec 26 2003
  

       And what's so sancroscrit about representative government, sloopjohnb? Have you felt justly represented lately?   

       Government? Government is a sliding term, humanbean. Saddam had a 'government'. The Native Americans had government. You govern yourself (I assume). Communication and outcry would bring items to our attention.   

       Frankly, if I budgeted all my taxes towards education, folks might learn to clean up after themselves. Or to question authority. There will always be prim and proper folks paying taxes as well as bohemians.
GnoLackawitz, Dec 27 2003
  

       Will there be small print saying "43% of all your taxes will go towards paying the administration fees involved in processing the tax-destination wishes of millions of people."?
You choose how you want your taxes spent when you vote. You want to buy guns and to line the pockets of the rich white guys running things? You vote Republican. You want to buy hospitals and to line the pockets of the rich white guys running things? You vote Democrat.
calum, Dec 27 2003
  

       You can't do this with all your taxes, but it would give some power back to the people. Some institutions should have a status as tax creditable (your donations count as taxes paid, not just deductions from income). Examples are local school, fire brigade, police. It should be allowed to give up to 50% of income taxes owed to such institutions. The remaining 50% would still be needed for less popular items that still need to be done (prisons?) and to keep our politicians fat and happy.
kbecker, Dec 30 2003
  

       Great, and easily workable. You simply ensure that 50% of all taxes go on a fixed allocation to unpopular areas, and the other 50% are allocated by tax payers (probably mostly to children's hospitals, cat homes, and torturing child molesters). The unpopular areas will probably require more funding and nobody will voluntarily donate to them, so you will have to increase the total tax burden to ensure they are all funded.
kropotkin, Dec 30 2003
  
      
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